Longing for Quiet
by Relm Wanderer
Summary: A small drabblish type fic I wrote years ago for my old site RSBI about Zelgadis trying to deal with a massive headache.


_Author's note: Back when I wrote this fanfic I started to write it when I was stuck in a long car ride, it was very noisy and I had an extremely large headache. I wasn't really intending it to be a fic when I started it, the beginning was more or less me venting about the family members I was stuck in the car with. But then it morphed into a story. This is one of my oneshots from RSBI, yes it is supposed to be small, that is the point. I've made minor changes here and there but for the most part it's the same as the original version._

**Longing for Quiet**

By Relm

_Shut up. That's what I want to scream at the top of my lungs. The noise around me hammers into my already pounding head. They talk to me even though they know I'm not listening. And then they yell at me to get their point across adding to the pounding noise. I think they talk just to hear their own voices. _

_How vain of them. _

_A part of me wishes to drift off to places unknown hopping and wishing for quiet. But the reality is I'm stuck with no means to escape the noise. It's all around me adding to the growing headache. Why won't they shut up? And the sun adds to my discomfort. Assaulting my eyes with its' offending glare. And the heat it gives off, more likely the cause of my annoyance. _

_They talk about me freely like I'm not even here. They try to annoy me to get me to speak. But really it's more an excise to indulge in the vanity of their voice. _

_Now they repeat things again that they've said before. So pointless. And again they talk about me with the hopes of getting me to speak. If I speak I would encourage them to talk more. _

_I wish they'd shut up._

...

Zelgadis looked up from his pen and paper at the group around him. Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Xellos. They were waiting out in the boiling sun at a little clearing near the edge of the woods for someone who was supposed to meet them. This mysterious stranger was supposed to have information about treasure they were looking for. Or rather a treasure that Lina was looking for.

They all figured Zelgadis was working on another spell; pouring over his books as he was, another means to cure his condition.

Though he'll admit writing random thoughts on paper wasn't something he did as a norm. But his headache was bothering him so much that he need to vent out in some way or another.

The faint but very present sounds of the nearby by town mingled with the noise of the birds and animals of the woods nearby, a symphony of noise of this bright and sunny afternoon. Perhaps someone would be calmed by this tranquility but it did not help Zelgadis. Any noise at this point wasn't a welcome.

He could leave at any moment, he knew he could. Run, fly, walk... all within his capability. But if he did he'd invoke Lina's wraith in some way or another.

Zelgadis desperately wanted to leave. To get away from any signs of life so he could calm his pounding head. But he couldn't so he let out a pained heavy sigh.

Lina tapped him lightly on the shoulder. Zelgadis looked up to meet Lina's eyes. She looked at him sympathetically and then motioned for him to follow her into the woods.

"We'll be right back, stay here. If the guy comes, yell." Lina said before anyone could ask.

She led him deep into the woods where there were less noisy animals and more cover of trees from the sun. They sat down on a log and Lina pulled out a thermos from one of those mysteriously dimensional pocket thingies from her cape. She unscrewed the top and poured a reddish clear liquid into the cup and handed it to Zelgadis.

"What's this?" Zelgadis regarded the liquid suspiciously.

"Something to help your headache."

"Oh. Thanks."

They sat there in silence as Zelgadis slowly drank his drink. The quiet was comforting just like the warm drink. It tasted almost tasted like a combination of raspberries and mint but it was very mild and not too strong. As he drank the mysterious tea he felt the faint tingle of magic soothing his aching head from an intense throbbing to a very dull pain.

"You know if your head was bothering that much you could have just said something." Lina lectured him.

Zelgadis glared at Lina. "I know."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Two words: Amelia, Xellos."

"Ah." Lina knew exactly what he was getting at. Xellos would have taken it as a key to pester Zelgadis and Amelia would have smothered him, mothering him like a sick child.

"So how did you know I had a headache?"

"Even in your super moody days you wouldn't be that quiet. Plus you looked like you were in pain."

"And do you always carry headache remedy teas in your cape?" Zelgadis asked cryptically.

"When you travel with Gourry as much as I do, yes."

Zelgadis gave a light chuckle.

"MISS LINA THE GUY IS HERE!" Both Lina and Zelgadis heard Amelia yell out from the clearing.

"COMING!" Lina yelled back. "Do you want to stay here for a little while?"

"Yeah just for a little bit, I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Well you'd better, or I'll hunt you down personally." Lina promised with a playful smile before sprinting off.

_Thanks Lina._


End file.
